Box Score May 24, 2007
Box Score
CHICAGO, Ill. -
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team scored the final six runs of the game, but could not overcome a big early deficit in falling, 17-13, to Wright State in its second round game of the Horizon League Tournament Thursday afternoon. The Panthers (24-31) banged out 21 hits, but left 10 runners on base and could not overcome a quick start by the Raiders (35-20).
The conditions at Les Miller Field made for a slugfest, as winds blowing out - gusting to as high as 40 miles an hour - made it a hitter's day, with the teams combining for 30 runs, 39 hits and six home runs.
"I am really proud of the way the guys battled and did not give up and swung the bats all the way through," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "It's just too hard to climb out of that deep of a hole. It was virtually impossible to pitch in those circumstances. But, we were trying to get through nine innings like that and did not want to expose our whole bullpen in the first few innings when both teams were probably going to score 15 to 20 runs by the end of the game."
Senior Rob Brockel got things started off right for Milwaukee, hitting a two-run home run in the top of the first to give UWM the quick lead.
Just that quickly things went sour for the Panthers, as the Raiders struck for 10 runs on seven hits in their half of the first, the final three on Jeremy Hamilton's first home run of the contest.
Milwaukee battled back, scoring in six of the final eight innings, but could not keep WSU off the board. Down 17-7 in the sixth, UWM scored the final six unanswered runs and was one batter away from bringing the tying run to the on-deck circle when the game ended.
Senior Kyle Silver plated a run in the seventh with a single and junior Nick Wichser led off the eighth with a home run deep down the left field line. Senior Ross McCoy also doubled in a run in the frame to make it 17-10.
In the ninth, the first two batters singled and scored on a double by junior Jesse Hart. Wichser's single plated Hart before Wright State made a pitching change. Reliever Jason Benion then got a double play and a ground out to end the threat and the game.
Every starter in the Milwaukee line-up had at least one hit, four had multi-RBI performances and nine different players scored runs. The first four hitters in the line-up combined for 13 hits, as Silver (4-for-6, three runs), Hart (3-for-6, three runs, home run, four RBIs), Wichser (3-for-6, three RBIs) and Brockel (3-for-6, three RBIs) all led the way. Sophomore Andy Hetebrueg went 2-for-2 and freshman Shaun Wegner also had two hits to round out the multi-hit outings. Brockel (18 games), Wichser (14 games) and sophomore Josh Groves (14 games) all extended their hitting streaks in the process.
Hamilton hit two home runs and tied the league tournament record with six runs batted in to lead the Raiders, while Ross Oeder had four hits.
The Panthers will continue tournament action tomorrow, but will not know their opponent or game time for certain until the UIC vs. Cleveland State game (which started at 7 p.m.) is completed. Check back later on www.uwmpanthers.com for an update before the end of the night.
UPDATE: With UIC defeating Cleveland State, 8-5, in the last game of the night in the Horizon League Tournament Thursday, UWM now knows when it will play, but not who it will play. The Panthers will play at 3 p.m. tomorrow, taking on the winner of the Youngstown State/Cleveland State elimination game that will be played at 11 a.m.
